Mode of changing the gearing of drawing-heads while in motion



UNITE sra 'r rio,

ALFRED JENKS, OF BRIDESBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MODE OF CHANGING THE GARING OF DRAWING-HEADS WHILE IN MOTION.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,938, dated December 11, 1849.

T 0 all whom, t may concern.' l

Be it kno-wn that I, ALFRED JENKS, of Bridesburgh, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement for Changing the Velocities of Drawing-Head Rollers while in Motion and for other Purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following` is a full, clear, and ex'act description of the characteristics which distinguish my inventio-n from all others heretofore known, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the drawing head, Fig. 2 is a side View of one of the cog wheels, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the spindle detached from the machine, and Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the same.

In drawing heads it is essential that the speed of the drawing rolls should vary with the quantity of cotton fed to them, in order that the sliver produced may be always of uniform size; and my invention consists in vgiving a triangular cross section to the key- ,in attaching a sliding key of a corresponding cross section to a spring bar which is received in a groove extending lengthwise in the surface of the spindle on which the cog wheels are mounted, the spring bar extends beyond the end o-f the spindle and is moved by hand from the key seat of one wheel to that of another when it is necessary to change the speed of the drawing rolls.

In the drawing A, is the frame of the drawing head on which are mounted three pairs of drawing rolls (a a b b, c, c, the lower rolls Z2 and c being hidden by the front rolls) the lower ones of each pair are driven while the upper ones are put in motion by friction against the lower ones. The central lower roll is put directly in motion by a belt pulley B mounted upon its spindle E which extends some distance beyond the roll journals and has a co-ne of differential .wheels CZ, e, f, mounted upon it. The outer CZ cl, e e', f f, the largest one of the shaft gearing with the smallest on the spindle. The wheels on the counter shaft are rigidly attached to it, those on t-he spindle are loose and may revolve with it or slide round upon it.

The speed of the spindle E is constant, and as the wheels d, e, f, all dier in size, it is evident that whichever one is attached to the spindle will communicate a number of revolutions to the counter shaftdiffering from that transmitted to it by either of the others; and that if one is fixed to the spindle, the others being driven by their mates on the counter shaft, will slide round upon it. Then the speed of the counter shaft is to be changed the wheel, at the time keyed to the spindle, must be detached from it, and one of the others connected therewith. This is accomplished by the following arrangement; the opposite sides of the spindle are deeply grooved in the direction of its length, these grooves each receive a spring bar z', i, which extend beyond the end of the spindle and are connected with each other by a` knob G. The keys 7c, 7c, are attached to the outer sides of the inner extremities of these spring bars. The combined thickness of a key and spring bar not exceedingthe depth of the groove. The driving edge of the key is radial; its upper side sloping backward from Athe driving edge until its back edge is brought within the groove in the spindle and vanishes into the spring bar. Each cog wheel is furnished with at least two key seats l, Z, corresponding in section with the keys, which latter are equal in length to the thickness of the wheel hubs; if now the knob be placed in such position that the keys exactly correspond with one of the wheels, that one will be engaged with and driven by the spindle, while the others being driven by their mates on the counter shaft will slide round on the spindle; if now that wheel is to be detached and ythe one nearer the outer end of the spindle connected, the hand of the operator is applied to pull the knob outward and as soon as the wheels in their revolution arrive ing inclined faces of the key seat of theV faster moving wheel which is then passing over them, and all diiculty is avoided.

In the usual construction of drawing heads where the velocity is varied without stoppage, the speed is changed in one of two Ways, both of which occupy more room, are more complex, and more costly than the one just described. In one of these arrangements each of the diferential wheels is mounted upon one extremity of a sleeve, whose oppof site end is furnished with a pulley, and the change in the speed is effected. by shifting the belt from one pulley to the other; it will be perceived that in this arrangement a separate pulley is required for each wheel,

while in mine but one is necessary; in addi-l from each other by a space greater than the length of the key, so that the latter cannot engage with two wheels at the same time; this arrangement occupies a much greater space than mine, in which the wheel hubs touch each other, it is also not as convenient, as the key has to be moved a much greater distance; and the cost is greater, as the Wheels have to be so connected with their spindle that they cannot move out of their proper position with respect to their mates onthe counter'shaft. Y

It is obvious that the forms and arrangements of the various members of my device for disconnecting and connecting the several diierential wheels with their spindle can be modified toa very great extent wit-hout the least departure from the characteristics of my invention, and I contemplate modifying Vthe same as may be required to adapt it to .different purposes.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isn A sliding spring key arranged and operated substantially as herein set forth for connecting anyone of aseries of Wheels with a common spindle and for disconnecting it therefrom at will. i

ALFRED JENKS. [L. s] lVitnesses:

JN0. P. OFFERMAN, EDWARD ONYX. 

